Hydrophobic surfaces bind very weakly with water, which makes drops of water “bead up” on the surface. A hydrophobic surface is generally defined and defined herein as that which has a contact angle greater than 90° with a drop of water. Hydrophobic materials include many well known, commercially available polymers.
A super-hydrophobic surface is generally defined and defined herein as that which has a contact angle greater than 150° with a drop of water. The lotus leaf surface is known to be naturally super-hydrophobic due to the texture of its waxy surface.
New materials are and methods are being sought that provide capability for making protrusive-featured surfaces that are especially suitable for super-hydrophobic applications.